With help from Darren Samuelsohn, Andrew Restuccia, Darren Goode and Ginger Gibson

DEM PLATFORM ALSO CALLS FOR ‘ALL OF THE ABOVE’ ON ENERGY: Democrats and Republicans have now both officially touted the need for an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy in their national convention platforms. But that’s about where the similarities end. Democrats released a platform Monday that echoes the GOP platform in one respect: calling for domestic energy production of all stripes. Otherwise, the two parties further solidified their differences over enacting EPA regulations, investing in clean energy, addressing climate change and deciding where to drill — and not drill. Darren Goode breaks it down: http://politico.pro/QZRJtn

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Here are a few selected excerpts:

On clean energy: “Democrats support making America the world’s leader in building a clean energy economy by extending clean energy incentives that support American businesses and American jobs in communities across the country. It’s not enough to invent clean energy technologies here; we want to make them here and sell them around the world.”

On natural gas: “Harnessing our natural gas resources needs to be done in a safe and responsible manner, which is why the Obama administration has proposed a number of safeguards to protect against water contamination and air pollution.”

On international climate agreements: “We will seek to implement agreements and build on the progress made during climate talks in Copenhagen, Cancun and Durban, working to ensure a response to climate change policy that draws upon decisive action by all nations.”

Criticizing Republicans: “Our opponents have moved so far to the right as to doubt the science of climate change, advocate the selling of our federal lands, and threaten to roll back environmental protections that safeguard public health. Their leaders deny the benefits of the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts.”

DOESN’T GET A MENTION: The EPA, although the platform makes sure to tout recent achievements such as new fuel economy standards and emissions standards for new power plants.

OKAY, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE TRACK RECORD FROM 2008? Four years after promising to revamp energy issues, the Obama administration has failed to enact cap and trade, doesn’t appear on track to creating 5 million new jobs in clean energy by the 10-year mark and hasn’t put the nation on the road to having 1 million plug-in hybrid cars on the road in 2015. But by several key measures — tightening fuel economy standards, boosting electricity from renewable sources and investing in energy research, the electric grid and a more efficient federal auto fleet— President Barack Obama met his goals. Erica Martinson breaks out her score card: http://politico.pro/OUlHeT

THEY TRIED TO MAKE ME GO TO REHAB: Everyone in Washington knows that “stimulus” is a dirty word — the butt of jokes and endless GOP attack ads and a term many Democrats avoid saying out loud. And don’t even get Republicans started about Solyndra. But are Americans ready to take a second look at Obama’s signature economic initiative? Darius Dixon explains why Republicans hope Democrats have a turnaround on the stimulus: http://politico.pro/R1e7SX

OBAMA PRAISES OHIO’S SOLAR SECTOR: Campaigning in Toledo, Ohio, yesterday, Obama switched up the renewable energy he held up to the crowd from wind (his favorite in recent weeks) to solar. Ohio is a top solar manufacturing state, despite lagging behind many others in actual installed solar power, and Toledo in particular is home to several solar firms. “My opponent said renewable energy sources are ‘imaginary,’” Obama told the Toledo crowd. “The folks here in Toledo manufacturing solar panels might disagree with that.”

But Obama didn’t forget the swing state’s fossil fuels industries either, adding: “Now, Ohio, you can choose an energy plan like the other guy is offering that's written by and for the oil companies. Or you can choose an all-of-the-above strategy for American energy, which means we drill for more oil, we mine for more coal. But it also means that we're going after the new energy sources of the future.”

BUT WILL HE WEAR A BOLO? Energy wonks take note: Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is speaking between 7 and 8 p.m., right after a “Jimmy Carter video,” according to the DNC schedule. You’ll also get the keynote address from San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro and remarks from First Lady Michelle Obama. Other speakers include former Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer. And a bunch of governors: Martin O’Malley of Maryland, Bev Perdue of North Carolina, Pat Quinn of Illinois, Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island and Deval Patrick of Massachusetts — plus former govs Tim Kaine of Virginia and Ted Strickland of Ohio.

COMING LATER THIS WEEK: Jim Rogers — CEO of Duke Energy and co-chairman of the convention — will speak Thursday on energy issues at the Bank of America Stadium, sometime ahead of Obama’s acceptance speech, Rogers tells POLITICO. What will he talk about? “All of the above, I think, will continue to be the story. And the truth of the matter is we’ve built advanced coal plants during this administration, we’ve built licenses for four nuclear units, we’ve built a significant amount of wind and solar. We’ve built an amazing amount of natural gas. And we’re in a period in history where the price of gas in 2008 was $12 and it’s dropped to under $2 during this period of time.”

CAP AND TRADE MAYBE NOT PRIORITY FOR OBAMA, ROGERS SAYS: Does Rogers think Obama would try again on cap and trade? “I think when President Obama became president he controlled both the House and the Senate and that wasn't on the top of the list of priorities for him. His priority was health care and that's what he drove forward. It’s not clear to me, given the reduction in CO2, we’re back in the United States to 1992 levels, I’m not sure that would be a top five item.”

CHAFFETZ ON ENERGY: Darren Samuelsohn caught Rep. Jason Chaffetz in Charlotte yesterday, where the Utah Republican said Obama has limited production activities in energy-producing states, particularly out West — something that will hurt the president in November. “He just decimated coal. For those states out west that have a lot of public lands, we have not been able to access those. Those are some of our best jobs,” Chaffetz said. “The energy-producing states understand how devastating Barack Obama has been to energy production. I mean they really do. Colorado, it¹s going to be a big issue.”

SPOTTED: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse holding court at the Clean Energy Party in Charlotte. "We've got to make our voices heard more effectively on this issue," Whitehouse said, referring to climate change.

HAPPENING TODAY: Our Ben White and Editor-in-Chief John Harris will be hosting a POLITICO luncheon Tuesday to talk about the economy and job creation. They will be joined by White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer, Sen. Mark Warner, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell and others.

And don’t miss the discussion on Wednesday, hosted by POLITICO’s Darren Samuelsohn and Jonathan Allen, about current legislation and the energy debates facing the nation. They will be joined by Rep. Ed Markey, former Govs. Bill Richardson and Bill Ritter, former EPA Administrator Carol Browner and Kevin Book of ClearView Energy. A limited amount of seats are available just for Pro subscribers. Email PROEvents@POLITICO.com for more information.

** A message from America’s Natural Gas Alliance: Natural gas vehicles are driving change in your city, in your driveway and at your door. Learn more about how you can bring cleaner transportation to your community. http://bit.ly/n9H9QM **

GERARD STAYS ON MESSAGE: Our own Andrew Restuccia picked up where Darren Goode left off last week, pressing Jack Gerard during a sit-down interview in Charlotte about rumors that he could serve in a Romney administration. But Gerard wouldn’t budge, deflecting question after question. Andrew sent ME this selection of verbal pas de deux:

Restuccia: I want to talk about Mitt Romney for a minute. What is your relationship like with him? Is he someone that you can call up and say, ‘Hey Mitt, let’s grab a beer?’

Gerard: We’re API, we reach out to everybody. We are here in Charlotte this week and we were in Tampa last week. Everything we send, we send it to both political campaigns. We send it to all the Democrats and all the Republicans. Because our efforts transcend partisanship and the partisan squabbling that goes on.

Restuccia: Can you take off your API hat for a moment?

Gerard: I always wear my API hat.

Restuccia: But you’re an individual too and you are a Romney supporter. There’s been some talk about you potentially having some role in his administration. And I’m just trying to shed some light on you as an individual and your relationship with Mitt Romney. Do you have one? Is he someone that you meet with or talk to? Do you give him advice on energy issues?

Gerard: I’ll talk to anybody who wants to talk to me. President Obama, Gov. Romney or anybody else.

Restuccia: But Mitt Romney seems to want to talk to you.

Gerard: Our view is to continue to advocate what we believe is good, solid energy policy. All this other speculation is a sideshow. It’s Washington silly talk and it will eventually go away. We’re primarily focused on oil and gas development. And that’s where I am.

Restuccia: So, would you say no if he asked you to serve in his administration?

Gerard: I will continue to articulate what’s in the best interest of the country — the development of the oil and gas industry and its effect on the economy.

Restuccia: Well, I had to try.

TODAY IN ROMNEY: Romney is doing debate prep in Vermont. Paul Ryan is at rallies in Westlake, Ohio, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

HAPPENING TODAY IN CHARLOTTE

7:30 a.m. — POLITICO LIVE: Driving the Day kicks off mornings at the POLITICO Hub, breaking down the day’s political agenda. Watch the show on the POLITICO livestream: http://politi.co/gk0uT

8 a.m. — The Washington Post hosts an event on “Energy and the Election” with Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, Paul Bledsoe of the Bipartisan Policy Center, Michael Levi of the Council on Foreign Relations, Joshua Freed of Third Way and Margo Thorning of the American Council for Capital Formation. The Ritz Carlton Charlotte. Livestreamed at www.washingtonpostlive.com.

8:30 a.m. — POLITICO's Mike Allen hosts a Playbook Breakfast with newsmaker of the day, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. The event will air nationally on C-SPAN. http://bit.ly/RzkpdS

9:30 a.m. — National Journal and The Atlantic host a forum on "R+D and America's Energy Outlook." Correspondent Amy Harder interviews Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Nuclear Energy Institute chief Marv Fertel, Michael Levi of the Council on Foreign Relations, Electric Power Research Institute CEO Mike Howard and former Energy Information Administration chief Richard Newell, now a professor at the Nicholas School of the Environment and director of The Energy Initiative. McColl Center for Visual Arts

CHARLOTTE TRIVIA: Congratulations to Bill Fang of the Edison Electric Institute for being the first to say that it was General Cornwallis who called Charlotte “a veritable hornet’s nest of rebellion” during the Revolutionary War. Several readers also pointed out that’s how the Charlotte Hornets got their name as well.

Today’s question: Charlotte is home to what official Olympic training facility? First to send the correct answer to aguillen@politico.com will have songs sung of them — provided they write, produce and release those songs themselves — and their name in Morning Energy.

IN OTHER ENERGY NEWS

NATIONS SPAR OVER MAKING INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE AGREEMENT LEGALLY BINDING: Ongoing international climate talks in Bangkok are getting (perhaps predictably) nowhere fast, with the world’s poorer nations pressuring larger developed nations to make greenhouse gas emissions cuts in a new international climate agreement legally binding, a provision some larger nations have tried to dodge. If the richer nations don’t agree, the poorer nations are threatening to block access to United Nations carbon credits used to help offset emissions. Reuters has more: http://reut.rs/Tai4FT

— The website Responding to Climate Change has the skinny on how several climate groups attending the Bangkok talks are up in arms over comments from Jonathan Pershing, a U.S. climate envoy, that any new, post-Kyoto agreement should be “flexible” and “dynamic” rather than legally binding. http://bit.ly/PUSQoE

DC FIRES ENVIRONMENTAL CHIEF: The city of Washington quietly fired Christophe A.G. Tulou, director of the D.C. Department of the Environment, over a “breach of protocol,” The Washington Post reports. “Two officials with knowledge of the firing said [Mayor Vince Gray and City Administrator Allen Lew] were increasingly dismayed with Tulou acting without their knowledge or input. One incident, one official said, concerned efforts by city agencies to seek a waiver from the federal Environmental Protection Agency and other parties allowing it to test “low-impact development” as a substitute for expensive tunneling to prevent sewage from draining into the Potomac and Anacostia rivers.” WaPo: http://wapo.st/T3BD0P

ARCTIC ICE MELT ‘ALARMING,’ WAPO WRITES: The Washington Post editorial board takes on Arctic ice melts. “The implications of this are profound, not only as an indicator of global climate change but also of changes in sea levels, freshwater, the Earth’s energy balance, the biosphere and the livelihoods of millions of people.” http://wapo.st/PXpL1f

QUICK HITS

— Statoil is pushing back its plans for Arctic drilling exploration to 2015 at least. Fuel Fix: http://bit.ly/Re7aZi

— A recent string of Chinese coal mining accidents is throwing the spotlight back on the industry’s safety record. Wall Street Journal: http://on.wsj.com/TPXypN

** A message from America's Natural Gas Alliance: We believe in a clean energy future. Natural gas is a cleaner energy choice and a key partner to solar and wind technologies. From California to Florida, natural gas facilities are working with renewable energy to ensure steady, affordable and cleaner energy choices for communities across our nation. Because it is an abundant and affordable energy source available right here in America, natural gas can help make the promise of cleaner energy a reality in more American communities. Natural gas is smarter power today. Visit anga.us to learn more. **

** A message from Vet Voice Foundation: Tens of thousands of service members and veterans rely on public lands to hunt, fish, camp and heal from the wounds of war. These lands are part of the American heritage we fought for. As a new President and Congress look to rebuild America's infrastructure, we call on them to make an equal investment in maintaining our public lands and parks for our service members and all Americans. Support for our veterans must extend to investing in and protecting America’s natural heritage, for our children and grandchildren. www.VetVoiceFoundation.org **

Authors:

About The Author

Alex Guillén is an energy reporter for POLITICO Pro, where he covers EPA, regulations and coal, as well as lobbying and campaign finance in the energy realm. He previously wrote the Morning Energy newsletter. He graduated from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., with a degree in anthropology and English. He is an avid reader and TV binger. The Delawarean, thrilled that there are finally Capriotti’s outposts in Washington, lives in Alexandria, Va.